DON’T BE AFRAID OF “OLEO DE COCO”

Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the meat or kernel of the mature fruit of the coconut tree. It plays an important role in Brazilian cuisine, particularly as a component of the coconut milk called for in a huge number of traditional dishes in Brazil. The oil is particularly associated with the Afro-Brazilian cuisine of the north-eastern state of Bahia, where it is an essential ingredient in the seafood stews called moquecas, in vatapá, and in many sweets and desserts.

Recent research in Brasil and elsewhere indicates that unprocessed coconut oil (called oleo de coco in brazilian portuguese) might not actually be so dangerous as previously thought, and perhaps it’s only hydrogenated coconut oil that should be avoided. Unhydrogenated coconut oil contains a large proportion of lauric acid, a saturated fat that increases the level of “good cholesterol” in the blood.

Creative cooks in Brasil and elsewhere are exploring the culinary potential of their “oleo de coco”. Many have commented on its slightly sweet, slightly nutty taste which makes it an excellent choice in pastries and sweet baking. Customer demand for virgin oil, coupled with falling demand for hydrogenated oil with its trans fats, means that the natural product is increasingly available in many countries, where it can most easily be found in health food and natural food stores and markets. I’ve spotted it recently in Fortaleza and the jar was clearly labeled “virgem”. If you’re buying it anywhere else, look for the word virgin or the local-launguage equivalent to make sure you’re not getting hydrogenated oil.

Maybe we don’t have to be quite so scared of coconut oil as we’ve been led to believe in recent times. Coconut oil is an eatable oil extricated from the meat or piece of the develop product of the coconut tree. It assumes a vital part in Brazilian food, especially as a segment of the coconut drain called for in a colossal number of conventional dishes in Brasil. The oil is especially connected with the Afro-Brazilian food of the north-eastern territory of Bahia, where it is a basic fixing in fish stews and in numerous desserts and pastries.

Late research in Brasil and somewhere else demonstrates that natural coconut oil (there called “oleo extra virgem”, similar to virgin olive oil) may not really be so hazardous as beforehand thought, and maybe it’s solitary hydrogenated coconut oil that ought to be maintained a strategic distance from. Unhydrogenated coconut oil contains an expansive extent of lauric corrosive, an immersed fat that expands the level of HDL cholesterol (the “great cholesterol) in the blood. Human bosom drain likewise contains critical measures of lauric corrosive.

Inventive cooks in Brazil and somewhere else are investigating the culinary capability of virgin coconut oil. I’ve seen it as of late in Fortaleza and the jug was obviously marked “virgem”. In case you’re getting it anyplace else, search for the word virgin or the nearby launguage identical to ensure you’re not getting hydrogenated oil.

Possibly we don’t need to be so frightened of coconut oil as we’ve been persuaded lately. It’s a matter of ensuring that one uses just virgin oil, and similarly as with everything else, expending with some restraint.